The Cultural Competency Record Documenting Competencies in Arts Education and Cultural Learning Programs BKJ German Federation for Arts Education and Cultural Learning Rolf Witte International Relations Officer
Background Beside a sound education in schools and vocational training young people need to acquire skills that are not only knowledge-oriented but geared towards the art of living one s life The learning outcomes of non-formal and informal learning play a major role in the personal, social and professional development of young people These learning outcomes are not well recognized in our society and play a minor role in education policy
Competencies Acting autonomously Functioning in socially heterogeneous groups Using tools interactively Artistic competences Cultural competences Competencies are more than knowledge and abilities. They are important for professional success, for the development of the personality and for active participation in society
Arts and Cultural Education Arts and cultural education programs, projects, courses and institutions offer very good possibilities for the acquisition of competencies In music-schools, youth-art-schools, drama-centres, medialabs, youth circusses, literature-, dance- or fine-artsworkshops, in orchestras, children s museums...
Steps leading to the CCR 1 2 3 4 Project analysis Observation Dialogue Description
Step 1 What demands need to be met? Project analysis Which competencies can potentially be acquired in the process? Result: A project analysis as preliminary structure for step 2
A part of the conceptual framework of competences of the CCR Demands Indicators Partial Competencies To present oneself in an unfamiliar role To keep going even in difficult trial periods Overcoming fears and having faith in one s own strengths Willingness to keep going despite failed attempts Self-Confidence Perseverance Key Competencies Acting autonomously To demonstrate responsible behaviour as part of a group Working together towards a common goal and contributing one s own abilities constructively Team Skills Functioning in a socially heterogeneous group Getting involved with and understanding unfamiliar texts Understanding events and facts holistically and being able to draw conclusions from it Translation Skills Implementing ideas by using computer-based tools Being able to lend shape to something Design skills Using tools interactively Developing an interpretation of a melody Creative handling of tasks. Ability to think out of the box Creativity
Step 2 How does the individual cope with the tasks? (self- and outside observation) Observation Which competencies become apparent? Result: Collection of observational data
Step 3 Discussions between the young person and the educator on the observations made Dialogue Agreement on the most important aspects Result: Joint evaluation of process experience
Step 4 Selection of the most important subjectmatters for the certificate Description (Joint) drafting of the text Result: Completion of the Cultural Competency Record
Awarding Criteria The CCR is awarded by projects and programs that are voluntary and participant-oriented and offer opportunities for active involvement of the participants The young person has actively and continuously taken part in the discribed project or program The young person has been actively involved in the process leading to his CCR
Awarding Criteria The educator must have followed a further training course for awarding the CCR This further training course has been run according to the quality criteria of BKJ and was guided by qualified CCR trainers Educators only award the CCR once the four steps of the documentation procedure have been fully implemented. The responsibility for this decision lies with the educators
Experiences Participants like to follow the CCR process The CCR qualifies the educational part of the work of the CCR expert The CCR is very flixible to use in different cultural education project forms
Actual Situation Network of 11 CCR Service Centres at member organisations of BKJ in Germany 5000 CCRs awarded to young participants 1000 CCR experts followed the further training courses 50 CCR trainers can offer further training courses 5 universities have integrated the training course of the CCR in the curriculum of their students of cultural sciences
Evaluation 30 CCR experts, 10 CCR trainers and 20 parents took part in phone interviews 63 business companies answered by questionnaire For 85 % of them the dialogue with the CCR expert was interesting and 80 % learned something new about themselves 50 % of the young participants with a CCR see a benefit of the CCR on their way to a job
Evaluation The most important for the participants is the process and not the product (the CCR itself) The youngest participants (from 12 to 15 years old) in lower segments of the school system got most profit out of the CCR process
Evaluation CCR experts and trainers state that the CCR process can be well integrated in cultural education projects They state also that their personal work was professionalized by integrating the CCR process CCR experts and trainers state also that the further training course has lead to more self-reflection and another understanding of their work
Evaluation CCR experts and trainers state clearly that the CCR process is time consuming, but in their perspective, this time is well invested CCR experts and trainers state, the lack of time is the only reason for their colleagues not to use also the CCR in their work
Evaluation 98 % of the business companies see the benefit that participants can learn more about their strengths and weaknesses Smaller companies in trade and service react more positive on the CCR than bigger companies in the industrial sector Companies having own assessment systems don t see as much added value in the CCR for their recruitment as others
Informations: www.bkj.de www.kompetenznachweiskultur.de Contact: witte@bkj.de